Fearless
by britata348
Summary: Hinata was still afraid that, after everything, she could still lose him. So how was it that Naruto could be so terrified of going on a simple date with her? NaruHina.
1. An unexpected epiphany in the Men's room

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****Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto.****

**Fearless**

Spiders, heights, death, rejection – Naruto knew those were just some of the countless things people are afraid of. How can it be that when there is someone you care about, all of those terrors seem to disappear? If they were protecting something precious, anyone could take on the risks and emerge triumphant, no matter how heavily the odds were against them.

When a person lets go of their fears anything is possible.

Hinata Hyuuga wasn't fearless though. Yes, he could describe her as courageous for doing what she did, but what drove her to try and save him was, indeed, fear. The fear of losing him. When that took over her, it was relentless. Everything else seemed to disappear from her mind. Even when she lay dying on the ground, she could still only think of him.

She was still afraid that, after everything, she could still lose him.

So, how was it that Naruto could be so terrified of going on a simple date with her?

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter One: An unexpected epiphany in the Men's room<em>**

The blond's hands were fidgeting with the delicate chain of the necklace he held, as his thoughts spun around nervously. This was his first date, and with Hinata of all people. He didn't have any idea of what to do.

He hated to think this, but he barely knew a thing when it came to Hinata. Sure, he knew she was shy (at least around him). He knew about her family problems – to a certain extent. He knew that she would never go back on her word... that she had been watching him all this time... that she was in love with him, Naruto Uzumaki.

He felt his face heat up at just thought. How could he not have realized it until she was standing in front of him, ready to give up her whole life? It was unbelievable – yet so obvious. Sakura was right; he really was stupid.

Naruto's mouth twisted into a grimace. The worst part was that he had been ignorant of her feelings for so damn long. She had loved him from afar for years,yet he had never seemed to go out of his way to talk with her before Pain attacked the village. And after what had happened, he hadn't even spoken a word to her up until yesterday. Again, stupid.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. He wanted to talk to her… but the words just wouldn't come. She had looked so confident, amazing, beautiful and... fearless. Her heartfelt words and actions left him truly stunned. How could he respond to her after what happened, when it felt as if he didn't know anything anymore? He didn't want – no he couldn't deal with the thought of him saying the wrong thing and losing her again.

Naruto chewed the inside of his cheek. He didn't know if he, you know, loved Hinata, but he knew that she was his precious friend, and losing her once made him lose his mind. He couldn't let that happen again just because of him saying something stupid.

So, he did the next most idiotic thing, to not say a word to the girl. He saw her happy tears when he returned to the village and he saw her worried glances when he was in over his head with Sasuke and Madara. He even saw her again on the battlefield, fighting for him and the people of the world. Everything had just happened so quickly, his mind couldn't even try thinking about what to do. It was far easier just to put it off, and that's exactly what he did.

Naruto thought of other things. Things he told himself were more important; there was a war going on after all. But the longer he waited, the guiltier he began to feel. Eventually, those things began to sort themselves out and, bit by bit, his life began to settle down. He was able to stop Madara, and drag that Sasuke-bastard back to Konoha with Sakura at his side. Despite that slimy creep Kabuto still sneaking about who knows where, the ninja world seemed to be in a state peace. Even the reconstruction of Konoha was practically finished.

All that was left was a certain girl with pale lavender eyes, who happened to be in love him.

But Naruto had been rudely awoken from his state of self-denial by the most unlikely of sources; none other than his old teammate and rival Sasuke Uchiha. It happened during the celebration with the Rookie 9 (plus Team Gai) at the rebuilt barbecue restaurant – after three months and eleven days of Sasuke being interrogated and withheld, he was finally let out into the streets of Konoha, albeit under careful watch.

Sasuke had stayed at Naruto's side nearly the whole time, barely saying a word. Naruto had laughed and talked with (almost) everyone, making jokes and having a good time. The evening grew late, and Naruto had – loudly, of course – excused himself to use the little shinobi's room. The last had Uchiha followed.

"You have to piss too?" Naruto turned his head, looking back at his friend.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. The blond took care of his business.

Finishing, Naruto walked over to the sink – thankfully remembering to wash his hands – and felt the Uchiha's eyes on him.

"What's with you? If you've got something to say to me then say it!" Naruto snapped, turning to face him, eyes glaring.

Sasuke's black eyes looked away from him, annoyed with the boy. Silence.

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, trying to think of what his problem was. "Spit it out, bastard!"

The other boy sighed, directing his eyes at Naruto once again. "... I'm trying to figure something out," he commented.

"What? C'mon, just tell me." Naruto pleaded.

"... I'm trying to figure out what happened while I was... away... that would have made you dislike her."

Confusion swept across Naruto's features. "Huh?"

"That Hyuuga girl." Naruto froze. "You were friends with her right? I just don't see what would make someone like you be so cold to her. I noticed that she's kept glancing over at you the entire night, and yet you... you haven't even said hello. And whenever she was talking, you got strangely quiet. Even I can tell how much its hurting her. Something has got to be up."

Naruto felt his face redden. "What are you talking about?" He yelled, his frustration coming out in his voice. "This isn't the place to stick your nose in, bastard! And I'm not ignoring H-Hinata..." He struggled getting out her name. "What's it to you anyway? Why are you so offended, huh?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I'm not offended, stupid. I thought that girl was looking at me at first, but that didn't make any sense. I was able to put two and two together, and obviously she did something, for you, of all people, to not acknowledge her." He sighed. "Now can you please tell me? It's starting to get on my nerves."

Naruto backed up until his back hit the wall behind him. He looked towards his feet, unable to meet his friend's gaze any longer.

"Mhm... she did..." His hands ran through his hair nervously. After a moment, he finally let out a shaky breath, lowering his head and closing his eyes. "She – Hinata – she told me... she told me that she loves me."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that. He didn't know what he was expecting, but Naruto's love life was certainly not on the list. "... So you ignore her? Are you too afraid to reject her?"

Naruto's eyes shot open, glaring at the Uchiha. "What makes you think I would reject her?"

A black eyebrow was raised at his question. "Why else would you not talk to a girl after she confesses? It doesn't make any sense to avoid her if you actually have feelings for her."

The blond struggled for words, unable to find them to explain himself. What was holding him back now? Was there any reason not to talk to Hinata? She may have been shy, dark, and a bit weird, but a person like her... he really liked! There was no doubt in that.

After all the terrible things he'd been through, thinking about it now, he could even say that her feelings made him, well, happy. He could go as far to say he was even overjoyed about it, although still baffled at the idea of it all. Someone had been caring about him all of that time, when he had thought he was alone. He didn't know whether he returned her feelings, but damn it, after everything she'd gone through to try and save him... Why was he turning a blind eye and leaving Hinata behind again, not even giving her a chance?

Why wasn't he doing something?

Gritting his teeth, he abruptly came to a decision. Naruto rushed to the door, without so much as a backwards glance back at Sasuke, overwhelmed with the need to do something. He couldn't continue being so cruel to Hinata... so cruel that even that bastard noticed.

Feeling bewildered – as bewildered as an Uchiha can get, at any rate – Sasuke remained standing there only for a few seconds. struggling to get to grips with what exactly had just happened. Had he really just discussed... girls and love with Naruto Uzumaki?

Naruto made his way to where the rookies were seated, new found determination driving him. He realized he may be acting irrationally, but he couldn't stop himself. After waiting so long, it felt as if he had no time to waste. When he got there, he slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone and getting a few odd looks from people in the restaurant.

"Hinata!" He looked straight at her, paying no mind to the sharp glare he received from Sakura, who was probably getting ready to punch the idiot.

The dark haired heiress looked back, confused. "... yes, Naruto?" Surprisingly, her habit of stuttering wasn't showing itself.

Swallowing his nerves, the blond took a deep breath, trying to keep the blush from creeping up on his face.

"Hinata – will you go out with me?" The words poured out of him in a rush, like a burst damn. Naruto was sure he heard Neji choke on his food, but his striking blue eyes continued to stare straight into her pale lavender ones as he waited for her answer.

She blinked. Her hand reached up to tuck a piece of her long dark hair behind one of her ears. She looked down a moment, carefully in thought as her face was turning shades of red, and looked back up to meet his eyes again.

"Um, if you'd like to... "

"Mhm, I would," Naruto reassured.

A sweet smile graced her lips. "...I'd love to go out with you, Naruto."

There was a brief moment of silence, all of the rookies in awe and wonder at what had just taken place, before Naruto leaned back upright, removing his hands from the table.

She... she... said yes? Naruto backed away from the table, and blinked, her answer taking him off guard. How could her voice have sounded so completely certain, without even a fraction of doubt, after all the time he had made her wait for an answer? But even if he didn't fully understand, he couldn't prevent a goofy, relieved grin from plastering itself across his face. "Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow is good," she said, a light blush still dusting her cheeks.

"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, and then again. "7 o'clock at Ichiraku's, meet me there?"

Hinata nodded her head in agreement. Not having any of what to do next, he turned himself around and took off into a sprint towards home, yelling a quick goodbye behind him.

Seconds later, Sasuke had approached the table.

"Do you... know what just... happened?" Ino had asked, dumbfounded.

"Beats me," The Uchiha had shrugged in response, taking a seat next to Sakura.

A chuckle slipped out of Naruto's mouth, as he remembered his half-insane actions and his friends astonishment, before he sheepishly shook his head to bring himself back to the present situation – his first date with Hinata. More specifically, the necklace he had bought as a gift for her.

Was he out of his mind for doing what he did yesterday? He didn't know.

Naruto fidgeted with the necklace in his hands.

Did he regret it? No – He didn't think so.

Was he scared? Yes.

Naruto Uzumaki was filled with fear.

But he wouldn't go back on his word; he was done with running away.

He feared losing her too much to do so now.

_**End Chapter 1**_


	2. Walking Together

**Fearless**

_**Chapter 2 - Walking Together**_

Walking tentatively towards the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Hinata could feel her heartbeat increasing in tempo with every step she took. As her simple dress fluttered slightly in the cool evening breeze she felt almost as though she were in a daze. The shock of the previous night's events were still sinking in. After all this time... Naruto had asked her out. She was still trying to convince herself it wasn't just a dream. If it were, she knew how much her heart would ache when she awoke.

Hinata felt her footsteps falter slightly at the thought and she bit her lip. Despite her joy at Naruto's offer – even her father had commented on her beaming smile when she had returned to the Hyuuga compound the previous night – she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit worried.

After such a long period of time of them not interacting, Naruto's actions had came from completely out of the blue, catching her totally off guard. She had only avoided descending into her old habit of stuttering due to how stunned she had been – it hadn't been until after Naruto had left that it had truly sunken in that she was going to be on a _date_ with the boy she had loved and admired from afar for years.

Though maybe, she wondered to herself hopefully, just maybe, she'd managed to keep her composure because she had grown up a little bit, gotten a little bit stronger, a little less afraid.

But before yesterday night she hadn't known what to say to him at all since the aftermath of her confession. She knew, after she had announced her love to him amidst the wreckage of Konoha, that things would be different between them – she had stepped forward and crossed a line that he hadn't even known was there, of course it would change their relationship – but still… He hadn't said anything to her since then and although she shouldn't really have expected anything from him... it still hurt when he avoided her gaze.

She knew he had more important things at hand, and it worried her to her very core, but she couldn't stop a tiny part of her from hoping the blond would say something to her. The silence... it made her feel like her actions had driven a wedge between them... it made her fear that she had lost him forever.

Hinata tugged at the edge of her sleeve. She couldn't go back on her word; she vowed she wouldn't. She had meant what she said and didn't regret saying it. It may have been hard for her, but she still loved Naruto and she would have continued to love him, even if he never acknowledged her again.

But no matter how certain she was in her love for Naruto, she could still feel her the familiar sensation of fear creeping up on her. Ichiraku's Ramen was just around the corner. Was she really ready? Did she misunderstand? What if he really just wanted to reject her here. Would she be able to handle it? She had told herself countless of times that she wanted Naruto to be happy, so even if he did reject her she couldn't let it get her down. No matter how many times she inwardly told herself not to get so anxious, she couldn't stop a pained expression from passing over her face just at the thought.

Hinata shook her head, trying to cast away the needling doubts. She had to trust Naruto, and herself. He had finally talked to her. Why was she focusing on what could go wrong now that she had the chance to walk by his side?

She took a deep breath before taking her next step around the corner, trying to raise her head and be confident. She had nothing to be afraid of.

And then she saw him.

His unkempt blond hair that fell over his forehead and brushed his eyebrows. His stunning blue eyes. His tanned skin. His brilliant smile. It was really him. Her heart melted.

Naruto was walking towards the ramen stand from the opposite direction. His eyes were searching the crowded street, and a flash of recognition swept across his face when he found the Hyuuga heiress.

"Hinata!" he called out, his fox-like grin growing broader.

She was startled by the sound of his voice, Hinata let out a quiet gasp and immediately looked towards the ground. She felt her face heat up with embarrassment. What if he had noticed her gazing at him like a love struck puppy? Or worse, she thought to herself, both embarrassed and annoyed at herself, what if he thought she was being cowardly by not even attempting to greet him?

She needed to be more confident. She had to believe in herself. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she slowly raised her lavender eyes again to see Naruto standing much closer to her than before, his face only a few inches from hers as he peered at her concernedly.

"...Hinata?" he repeated.

"H-Hello, N-N-Naruto," she stuttered, immediately feeling the urge to kick herself for descending into her childish habit. She swallowed, hoping her blush would recede the slightly, but she could still feel it covering her face.

He laughed. "C'mon, I'm hungry."

Hinata then felt a warm hand grab hold of her trembling one. Flashing a reassuring grin at her, Naruto guided her over to the ramen stand, where they sat down.

"Hey!" Naruto greeted Teuchi and Ayame, the people that ran the small but popular stand. "I haven't eaten since lunch so I'm starved!" Naruto clutched his stomach dramatically for emphasis.

"The usual for you, Naruto?" Ayame asked, her eyes then drifting to the smaller and timid looking girl beside him. "And for you... Hinata, right?" Seeing the Hyuuga girl nod shyly at her query, Ayame smiled encouragingly and continued, "Well, what would you like?"

The heiress's lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes were half closed in a daze; Naruto was still holding her hand. It felt so nice, she thought. Despite his palm being roughened with calluses from years of intense training, it was warm and felt perfect against her own soft skin. Better than she could ever have imagined.

Ayame repeated her question with an amused smile, noticing the dreamy expression on the pale eyed girl's face and bringing Hinata back to reality.

"Um..." Her eyes still were focused on their hands, unable to look away. She wasn't able to see how red Naruto's face turned when he noticed he hadn't let go.

His hand abruptly released hers, immediately going to the back of his head. He laughed, embarrassed, and muttered an apology. Her skin was still tingling from where he had touched.

Despite already missing the contact of Naruto's skin against her own, Hinata refocused, shaking herself slightly. "...Um, I suppose I'll have... miso ramen..." Hinata said politely, now looking at Ayame who was smiling at the two of them.

"One bowl of miso ramen coming up," announced Ayame, eyes dancing mischievously.

As her father set about preparing the noodles in the background, whistling a happy tune as he did so, Ayame leaned over the counter, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "So, how're you two enjoying your date so far?" she asked in an innocent voice, glancing over at Naruto. Hinata let out a squeak at the older girl's teasing, her face immediately flushing bright red, and Naruto spluttered indignantly – though Hinata noted, to her surprise and happiness, that Naruto didn't try to deny it.

Chuckling at the reactions of the young ninja, Ayame retreated to the kitchen to help her father, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone. The two sat in silence for a moment. Hinata began to chew on her lower lip. What should she say now? She had been wanting to talk to him so badly for so long, but now that he was right next to her she couldn't find the words. Her pale lavender eyes drifted to look at Naruto, who seemed to be looking ahead of him into space.

"... Naruto," she started. She couldn't help but be glad she hadn't stuttered.

The blond boy's eyes met hers. There was so much expression in his gaze – warmth, happiness and excitement to name just a few – but at the same time she felt a pull on her heartstrings as she saw the pain behind their usual cheerful front. She always could always see it. He cracked a light smile.

"Hm, Hinata?"

"I'm... sorry." She hunched her shoulders and her hands gripped her knees.

Naruto, confused, reached out a hand, but hesitated, unsure if he should touch her.

"...What for?"

Hinata shook her head, her lip quivering. She needed to be honest with him. That was the only way. "Its hard... for me, to put this into words, but–" She cut herself off when she felt Naruto's callused fingers brush away her dark hair that acted as a barrier between the two. She held her breath as his hand brought her face to look at him.

His eyes were hard, and his expression serious. "You don't need to hide from me."

She felt her eyes widen at his words, surprised. Her face felt as if it were on fire. Her own hand lifted to touch where his hand had just been.

"Um... ah... y-yes... Mhm..." She had lost her words, and now was searching for them frantically. She took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heartbeat that pounded in her ears. "...This all... seems too good to be true." Her voice was soft and quiet, like she was talking to herself, but her eyes told Naruto otherwise. "It feels like this happiness... will go away at any moment... so I'm sorry for asking, but... why did you ask me out?"

Naruto was speechless at first and he stared back at her blankly. "...Why I asked you out?" he repeated back to her. Hinata nodded tentatively, waiting nervously for an answer.

The two were interrupted by Ayame as she placed their ramen in front of them with an supportive smile. They both turned away from each other, but neither touched their meals.

Naruto shifted on his stool awkwardly, aware of the uncertainty and trepidation in her voice, and tried to put his feelings into words. He _wanted _her to know, he just couldn't find the right way to say it."I–" Naruto faltered, fiddling with the wooden chopsticks provided with the ramen, before blurting out in a rush, "–I just had to, Hinata."

"...You had to?" Hinata felt like a heavy weight had settled in her stomach. She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "What do you mean?" Her voice wavered, but she told herself she couldn't cry. Not in front of Naruto.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair uncomfortably. "I couldn't let it go on." he said honestly. "I had to do something... you deserved it from me."

Despite her efforts, Hinata felt her eyes get wet. "I don't want that! I don't want... to _deserve _you. I don't want... you to feel like you _have_ to be with me. I didn't ever mean to make you feel obligated, N-Naruto."

"Hinata..." Naruto whispered uncertainly, taken aback by her outburst. Seeing her downcast eyes made him feel like hitting himself; he'd purposefully been trying to _avoid_ hurting her feelings, but thanks to his big mouth he'd done exactly what he hadn't wanted. No wonder Hinata was upset. Annoyed at himself he shook his head vehemently, intent on making things clear and correcting his mistake. "That's not what I meant. I wouldn't be here**–** if I didn't _want _to be here... with you."

Words evaded Hinata once again. Had she heard him right?

He wanted... to be with her?

"C'mon," the blond urged, cracking a smile, "this ramen looks delicious."

Naruto ate rapidly, as always, and finished his first bowl quickly. Motioning for seconds as a cheerful Ayame took his bowl, Naruto sighed contentedly and lent back on his stool before directing his sight at the girl beside him. But to Naruto's surprise Hinata's bowl was almost untouched and the noodles between her chopsticks were held just above the bowl as Hinata sat completely still, almost like a statue.

He blinked, surprised, and was about to reach over and nudge her before he realized that her eyes were shining with moisture, and tears had begun to roll down her soft cheeks.

"Why're you crying, Hinata?" he asked, panicking. Had he done something wrong?

The dark haired heiress turned to meet Naruto's worried eyes. "I'm just... overwhelmed with happiness..." she said in a small voice, sniffling slightly. "It's just pouring out from me." She curved the corners of her mouth into a genuine smile. "I told myself I wouldn't cry... but here I can't even hide my tears from you... Naruto... thank you..."

Before he even realised what he was doing, Naruto instinctively reached out and wiped away the tears that fell from Hinata's eyes, which then widened with surprise. She let out a muffled squeak as his hand made contact, but she didn't object or jerk her head back so Naruto continued, rubbing her smooth, velvety skin with his fingertips as gently as he chest felt tight and his head felt even lighter.

What was this feeling, he wondered? What could make him feel like this? It was different than anything he had experienced before. All he wanted to do was hold Hinata in his arms at that moment and have her rest her head against his shoulders. The urge to feel the warmth of her embrace made him almost light-headed for a second or two.

Her tears soon stopped falling and she was able to eat, albeit slowly. Her face was still flushed and she had apologized profusely to Naruto for the trouble she had been as soon as she had recovered – she couldn't believe she had cried on her first date! – but he laughed it off with his trademark grin. Feeling thankful towards Naruto for being so understanding, Hinata tried to relax; she wanted to fully enjoy this precious time she was able to have with Naruto.

Eventually, their previous awkwardness around one another faded away. Naruto told her of his latest stunts and fights and Hinata listened carefully, occasionally holding her hand up to her mouth to hide her giggles at his extravagant tales, whereas other people may have just rolled their eyes.

Much to Hinata's delight, Naruto showed an interest in her as well. He asked her about her clan, about Neji and about herself. What she liked to do, and if she was being treated better. She happily told him about how her clan felt more like family than ever before.

Hearing the improvements in Hinata's home life made Naruto feel happy for her, as he remembered how bad things had been for her in the past, and he gave her an enthusiastic smile. "I knew you could do it," he praised her, in between mouthfuls of ramen. "It was only a matter of time before they recognised how tough you are and you earned their respect!" Seeing Hinata's cheeks glow pink at his compliments, he added impishly, "I bet it helped that I kicked Neji's ass back in the Chuunin Exams though!"

"Whose ass did you kick?" a serious and familiar voice said from behind the couple.

"N-Neji!" Hinata cried, turning in astonishment to see her cousin. "W-What are you d-doing here?"

The Hyuuga prodigy smirked. "I just came to check up on you." His colourless eyes narrowed at Naruto. "And make sure you were being treated properly."

"Of course I'm treating Hinata well..." he defended.

Neji continued to glare at the troublemaker, carefully studying him. Naruto laughed nervously and flinched when Neji took hold of his shoulder.

"I'm trusting you with her." he told him sternly, "So don't you dare break her heart. If you do..."

Shivers ran down Naruto's spine as he imagined the pain of Neji's Jyuuken strikes. He gulped. "Sure, sure," said Naruto hastily, waving his hands to try and placate the Hyuuga jonin. "You won't have to worry about anything!"

Hinata had to force back a gasp of surprise at Naruto's words and for a moment she felt light-headed. He wouldn't break her heart? Did that mean–? She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to think about it any longer. The last thing she wished to do was faint.

Neji pursed his lips, maintaining his unfaltering gaze in silence as he weighed up Naruto's words. Seeing the blond boy's obvious discomfort under her cousin's severe scrutiny, Hinata took a deep breath, feeling the need to speak up despite feeling as though she were floating after Naruto's answer. "Neji, thank you, but it's alright," she said in a soft but firm voice. "Naruto has been very kind and tonight…" She blushed, glancing across at Naruto out of the corner of her eye, but continued in a whisper, "Tonight has b-been wonderful. Please don't worry about me."

Although he only just managed to catch her final words, Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat. He'd known she was enjoying herself, judging by her laughter and expression, but _wonderful_?

On top of that he was both taken aback and slightly impressed at the way she had challenged her cousin. The old Hinata wouldn't have been brave enough to voice how she felt, but she had just spoken her mind with honesty and let Neji know how she felt. Unbidden, a mental image of her standing between himself and Pain flashed in front of his eyes for the briefest moment – the circumstances were very different, but there was that same underlying current of steel in her voice.

Just for a moment Neji seemed surprised by Hinata's assertion too, but he quickly regained his composure and kept his facial expression carefully neutral. "As you wish, Hinata," he said, inclining his head. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your date." Giving Naruto one final frown he turned and left the stand. The couple sighed with relief.

"Your cousin is pretty scary, Hinata," said Naruto in a low voice, shooting a nervous glance over his shoulder in case Neji was still within earshot.

"Mhm... but I know he is very kind behind his intimidating front..." she defended.

"I still don't wanna get on that guy's bad side," he muttered, still a bit flustered from Neji's sudden and brief appearance. "Especially since I guess I'm gonna be seeing a lot more of him from now on,"

Hinata's fingers fidgeted, almost dropping her chopsticks. Did Naruto mean that… maybe he wanted another date with her? She tried to convince herself that she was looking too deeply into things, but he couldn't prevent her heartbeat from speeding up all the same. However, after Neji's interruption she found it hard to pick the coversation back up.

Her stomach was full and she assumed Naruto's was too, since he had a huge amount of bowls stacked up in front of him. The air had grown cooler and the sky had darkened. It looked as if it was time to leave... but she didn't want to. She didn't want this to end.

"Hey Hinata... are you ready to go?" Naruto asked.

"Um," Hinata hesitated, but was there anything else she could say? "Yes... I'm ready."

Standing up off his stool, Naruto stretched his arms above his head and sighing contentedly at the good meal. "So, uh, do ya want me to walk you home, Hinata?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he waited for her response.

Hinata's eyes lit up at the offer but she bit her lip, hesitating. "Are you sure…? I wouldn't want it to be any trouble for you…"

"Nah, it's fine," Naruto answered, smiling at her typical thoughtfullness. "Let's go!"

Counting out his money, Naruto paid for the food – despite Hinata's weak protests that he shouldn't have to – and the two of them left, waving goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame. The streets of Konoha were far less crowded now and had a strange glow due to the street lights. Hinata kept glancing at Naruto's hand, wishing she could hold it again. He hadn't even told her how he felt about her... or addressed her confession yet. They had been on their first date, yet Hinata didn't even know for certain if they were a couple or not.

Much to her dissapointment, Naruto had barely said a word since they'd started walking. Instead he had been looking down at the ground with a pensive, frustrated look on his face, with the occasional hurried glance up at her.

"Ah, Naruto, I live this way..." she said when he was about to keep heading straight.

"Oh, sorry," Naruto laughed, embarrassed. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."

Stopping alongside Naruto, Hinata shuffled her feet nervously. "Um... Naruto..." she turned to look up at him.

He looked distant and deep in thought, much like he had before his fight in the finals of the Chuunin Exam. She felt the urge to reach out to him, touch his face, and trace his trademark whiskers with her fingertips. She had to clench her hands into fists to restrain herself.

"... Is there something you're thinking about? If you want... you can tell me."

The corners of Naruto's mouth turned upwards slightly. Swallowing, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"I've been wanting to give this to you all night… but I kept on chickening out," he admitted sheepishly, with a lopsided smile. He held his hand out to her, the object reflecting the light. She reached her own hands out and he placed the gift in them. The metal was cool against her skin.

It was a necklace. Curious, Hinata brought it closer to her, her fingers holding it delicately. The ornament that hung from its chain was a small flower made of what looked like a blueish stone.

"It's so beautiful..." she whispered, in awe.

Naruto chuckled, relieved. "I'm glad you like it... I had no idea what to get you, or if you would like it– but for some reason, when I think of you, I think of flowers."

Hinata looked downwards to try and hide her blush, dragging her foot her foot across the pavement. "You didn't have to get me anything, I have so much to be thankful for already."

The blond boy smiled. "Mhm, but I wanted to." Naruto paused for a moment, uncertain. "Hey, Hinata... can I put it on you?"

Hinata's eyes widened at the offer but she nodded quickly, almost afraid that if she didn't say yes immediately that he might change his mind. Closing her eyes tightly, she handed him the necklace. His feet crunched against the gravel when he walked behind her. He brushed away Hinata's dark hair to reveal her soft and pale neck. She shivered at the touch of Naruto's fingertips. At first, he fumbled with the tiny clasp of the necklace, but eventually he was able to hook the necklace in place.

"Thank you," Hinata's voice was quiet. Naruto remained behind her, in silence as his half closed eyes watched the light from the street lamps illuminate her inky hair.

After a moment, he lightly tapped her shoulder. She turned to face him and he gave her a foxy grin. He looked so cute, with his whisker marks stretching across his cheeks, that she couldn't help but giggle, breaking into a smile that spread naturally across her face.

And Naruto couldn't remember a time when she looked happier than she did right then.

_**To be continued in Chapter 3...**_

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I got unexpectly swamped with school work for a little bit, and then the chapter still had to be edited. I hope you all liked it, and I'd love to know your thoughts in a review.**

**Also, another note, I havent been using honorifics (-chan, -san, -kun, etc.) in this fanfiction so far because I feel like I may not fully understand their usages. Is this bugging anyone? I just notice most fanfictions use them, so I hope it isn't a problem.**

**Next chapter should be up fairly soon. Expect some girl-talk!  
><strong>

**- Brita  
><strong>


	3. This little Piggy stirs things up

**Fearless**

_**Chapter 3 – This little Piggy stirs things up**_

Hinata hugged her pillow tight against her chest. Even though it was late and she was tired after a long day of training, she hadn't been able to fall asleep; her thoughts were running wild inside of her head. Whenever her eyelids closed she would see his face, his smile... all she wanted to do was to see him again.

She rolled onto her side, her futon shifting slightly under her weight, so that she could get a better view of the necklace that she had placed on her nightstand. She couldn't contain the giddy excitement that rose up inside of her chest. They had been on two more dates since the first one two weeks ago; first at Ichiraku's once again and then for a walk in the forest surrounding the village, and they were supposed to go out again the day after tomorrow.

Hinata sighed wistfully, replaying every moment inside her head, recalling every conversation, every time his fingers accidentally brushed against hers and every time he flashed that brilliant smile.

Although their relationship may have still been shy and new, Hinata had never imagined it being as perfect as it had been so far. She felt as if she had been floating happily in the clouds, wonderful sunshine enveloping her with blissful warmth ever since the end of that first night.

The dark haired heiress released her captive pillow and spread herself wide across her bed, stretching her restless limbs. Her coveted eyes closed once more and she smiled, her cheeks the tiniest bit flushed. Trying to relax, she told herself that the sooner she got to sleep, the sooner she would get to see Naruto again. This helped her relax somewhat.

Eventually her breathing slowed and she dimly felt the soothing sensation of sleep slowly embracing her. Just before slumber overtook her entirely, one final though flitted across Hinata's mind. She had cared deeply for the spiky haired boy before, but ever since they had started dating she had well and truly fallen for Naruto Uzumaki – much harder than she had ever thought was possible.

* * *

><p>Ino smiled, satisfied. She had finished applying her last coat of clear nail polish and splayed her fingers out in front her as she waited for them to dry. Critically, she inspected her figure in the mirror, checking to make sure she was presentable. Once she was sure her nails were dry she tossed her long blond ponytail over her shoulder and left her house.<p>

Sakura's home wasn't very far away, so Ino arrived there quickly. The pink haired girl opened the door after she had knocked loudly.

"Hey, Billboard-Brow," Ino greeted, smirking.

"Hi, Ino-Pig," Sakura replied, a competitive glint in her eye.

They both glared at each other, but after a few seconds gave in and burst into laughter. Their old rivalry had turned into something of a joke now.

Ino stepped inside. "Is Hinata here yet?"

"No, not yet... she should be here soon, though."

"It's surprising that we actually got her to agree to meet up with us," the Yamanaka girl laughed, following Sakura into the front room. "It seems like she disappeared off the face of the planet ever since Naruto and her started dating." Ino sighed, before sitting down on the comfortable looking couch and crossing her legs. "I still can't believe that Hinata was the first one of us to get a boyfriend!" Well, aside from Tenten and Neji, Ino remembered... but those two wouldn't admit they're dating no matter how much she'd pester them.

"Mhm," Sakura agreed. "I don't think anyone expected Naruto to do something so impulsive, especially Hinata. I wonder what made him ask her out so suddenly... I mean, I don't think I had seen them talking to each other since... well, I don't think that idiot even talked to Hinata after she… y'know..." Her voice had grown quieter, and her emerald eyes were looking downwards as she recalled healing the barely breathing Hinata.

"Ugh!" Ino groaned in frustration. "This isn't making any sense to me! I hate not knowing these things! Hinata needs to get here quick, because I have some _major_ questions to ask her."

As if on cue, the two girls both heard a soft rapping on the door. Sakura beat Ino to the door and let the timid Hyuuga inside.

"Hello, Sakura, Ino," she said politely, although a bit hesitant. Hinata had never really spent a whole lot of time with Sakura or Ino. She certainly considered them as friends, but there seemed to be a special bond between the two that she would never be able to fully understand.

Inwardly Hinata let out a sigh. Kiba and Shino were very close to her, but there were things that she would never be able to talk to them about. Secretly, she had always wished she could have a girl friend as close to her as Sakura and Ino were to each other. So, when they both attacked her with hugs, she couldn't help but yelp in surprise, her face turning bright with blush.

"Hinata!" Ino shoved Sakura away, taking the heiress for herself. "_Finally_!"

"A-A-Ah!" Hinata spluttered out, overwhelmed. "I-Ino!" The blonde was staring at her intently with an excited smile of anticipation, her face only inches away.

Sakura snorted, amused by how flustered Hinata had become. "Cut it out, Ino-Pig, we don't want Hinata to faint on us now."

Ino grudgingly released Hinata, who now felt even more embarrassed. She knew her past tendency to faint was even more childish than her old habit of stuttering.

She was able to calm down slightly after Sakura offered both of them some tea. The three girls now all sat in Sakura's bedroom, two of them focused on Hinata expectantly who had yet to really tell them anything. Hinata stared into the darkness of her tea, still unsure as to why they invited her over.

"So, Hinata..." Ino started, leaning towards the girl, her green eyes glinting with mischievousness. "... Is Naruto a good kisser?"

"Ino!" Sakura chided, frowning at her long-time friend. But, then again, she was certainly curious as to Hinata's answer as well… not that she would ever admit that to the Yamanaka girl, of course.

Hinata's mouth hung open, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt. _'Kisser?' _she repeated to herself faintly, the word ringing inside her head like a bell. _'Naruto?'_She could already feel the blood rushing to her cheeks just thinking about it.

The fair-haired ninja smirked with amusement at her friend's speechlessness. "C'mon, don't tell me he hasn't laid one one on you yet." She playfully nudged Hinata with her elbow, looking for a reaction. "There's no way he could resist your feminine charm!"

Hinata could feel her face heating up and for a moment she felt lightheaded. Flustered, she fumbled for the right words to try and answer Ino's question, but her voice felt as though it had shrivelled up and she was only able to stammer the odd incoherent word. Attempting to get a hold of herself with a few deep breaths, Hinata tried to avoid thinking about the two excited girls waiting on the edge of their seats for her to answer. It didn't help that they were almost certainly staring at her too – although she couldn't know for sure, since she had her head ducked down to hide her blush – but after a slight struggle the Hyuuga girl was able to just about ignore the she felt her racing heart return to its normal pace and her thoughts became coherent.

"Hinata, you okay?" Sakura asked, concerned.

The Hyuuga girl lifted her head, but avoided making eye contact. "Um... Naruto... and me..." Hinata stopped herself, becoming embarrassed with the topic. She never had spoken about these these things with anyone and even though she considered Sakura and Ino her friends she couldn't fully suppress the awkwardness she felt from their questioning.

"Were his lips soft, Hinata?" Ino teased her even more. "Did he try to feel you up? 'Cause if he did, you better have punched him." Ino teased her even more.

"N-No! Naruto didn't... I mean... we haven't –" She struggled to force out the word that felt so unfamiliar to her. "– K-Kissed."

Sakura raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised. She knew that Hinata was extremely shy, but she had been expecting, based on how dramatically Naruto had asked her out, that he would have given her at least a peck. To her, it seemed like Naruto had fallen for the Hyuuga – ever since he'd requested a date from Hinata Sakura had noticed that he'd been in an even more cheerful mood than usual and whenever he spoke of the time he'd spent with the pale eyed girl a goofy grin would stretch across his face. And Hinata already loved him... so she couldn't help but wonder at their relationship.

"Seriously?" Ino asked. "What have you two been doing on your dates then?" Ino asked, looking slightly put out by Hinata's answer.

"Well... mostly we just talk." Hinata sighed, momentarily lost in her happy memories of the time she'd spent with Naruto.

The two girls waited for her to continue, not satisfied with her answer.

"And he's been really nice to me." Hinata finally looked up, her lips held in a sweet smile. "He even bought me a necklace." She brought her hand up, instinctively touching the precious gift.

"You really love Naruto, don't you Hinata..." Sakura commented, thinking back to when she had realized this for the first time. An image of her healing an unconscious Hinata, streaked with dirt and blood, flashed briefly across the young medic nin's mind and she shivered at the memory.

Despite her shy demeanour Hinata nodded with certainty, her hand now clenching her heart. "I've loved him for so long..."

"Does he know?" Ino inquired, losing the playful manner in her voice. She was honestly curious. She had never confessed her love to anyone, not even Sasuke, like Sakura had before he left.

"Yes, he knows... I told him back then, when I tried to protect him… from Pain." Hinata swallowed thickly, remembering the desperation of the situation Naruto had been in before she had jumped into the fray. When he'd been pinned down, left helpless by the Akatsuki member's chakra rods… She shivered inwardly.

Ino's eyes widened. "And he didn't ask you out 'til now?" she exclaimed incredulously, crossing her arms and huffing indignantly.

Feeling pained by Ino's words, Hinata chewed the inside of her cheek, feeling the need to defend Naruto even though, deep down, the exact same worries had occurred to her too. "Well… I didn't exactly approach him either," she admitted softly, looking down at her hands as she spoke. "And I think…" she paused, biting her lip, before continuing in a low voice, "I think he had more important things to do than deal with me…"

Sakura reached across and squeezed Hinata's hand sympathetically, understanding how she was feeling. She could remember the chaos of back then; Naruto had made it clear, after rejecting her own less than genuine confession, that his focus was on rescuing Sasuke.

"Well, at least Naruto made the point of asking you out eventually," Sakura encouraged, trying to lighten Hinata's mood. "Even he's not enough of an idiot to leave something this important forever." Seeing the pale eyed girl nod, although clearly not totally convinced, Sakura hesitated for a split second, debating briefly whether or not to ask her next question. "… Hinata… I hope you don't mind me asking, but…" She took a breath, not wanting to pry but hoping to gain some more insight, and burst out suddenly, "Do you think Naruto loves you?"'

"W-What?" she gasped, shocked by Sakura's direct question. "Um…" She ducked her head, feeling very self-conscious and uncomfortable under the eager stares of both Sakura and Ino as they waited for her answer, and fidgeted with her necklace. "I… I couldn't really say…"

Sakura scrunched up her eyebrows, unable to hide her disappointment. "He's mentioned your confession though, right? What did he say about that?"

"Um... not directly, I suppose. He did tell me..." Hinata paused, remembering when Naruto told her he wouldn't go out with her if he didn't want to do so. For a moment she considered telling them, but a nagging doubt that maybe they would misinterpret what Naruto had said held her back – she didn't want them to think badly of him just because she couldn't find the right words. "Well, he's always treated me well and he hasn't rejected me. And we…" She blushed at the memory but pressed on, feeling a slight tinge of pride as she managed to force back her stammer and say, "We've even held hands."

Ino grinned. "_Awww_! That's so cute!"

Hinata blushed. "I just hope it will last," she said softly, admitting her fear. She still had the feeling that their growing relationship was only temporary. That, somehow, it would disappear in the blink of an eye. "I'm afraid that because he hasn't said anything concrete about our relationship, it's because he doesn't want to have to go back on his word... because that's his nindo."

She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to think about the idea of him leaving her behind once again now that she'd finally managed to walk alongside him. It would hurt so much more than it would have before.

Sakura's eyes softened. "It'll be okay, Hinata. I know Naruto's not the kinda guy that would just ditch you, no matter what happens. And who knows? Maybe, if he hasn't already fallen for you, he will with a little more time. I can tell he cares for you."

"Sakura's right, Hinata," chimed in Ino, giving the Hyuuga heiress an encouraging smile. "When he thought you were dead, he went berserk. And at the restaurant, when he asked you out, he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel at least something for you."

"I wonder…" Sakura began thoughtfully, stroking her hand absentmindedly through her hair. "I think maybe part of the problem is that this sort of situation is all so new to Naruto. He's never had anyone be the one chasing after him before. It's always been the other way around." Sakura assured.

Hinata bit her lower lip. She wanted to believe what they were telling her so badly… and why shouldn't she? She had always wanted to be more confident, especially around him. Maybe if she stopped worrying about how Naruto felt towards her, she could do so. Second guessing his feelings wouldn't do her any good.

"Thank you," Hinata smiled, her cheeks now flushed with happiness and relief. She was beginning to feel like she was closer to Sakura and Ino than she had thought. She had always felt somewhat distant from them, but there was no doubt that they'd succeed in comforting her and cheering her up.

Sakura giggled, amused by the heiress' politeness. "Hinata, you don't need to be thanking us. That's what friends are for."

"Just like how you need to dish up some more details about you and Naruto," added Ino, interrupting before Sakura could continue. "See, me and Billboard Brow are still single, despite our looks… although there's no doubt I'm the more attractive one, obviously." Ignoring Sakura's splutter of outrage, the blonde haired girl continued, "Anyway, even though we don't have boyfriends of our own yet, we need to talk about guys or we won't be able to function properly. It's a fact of life." Ino dropped a wily wink. "So first, tell us what happened with Naruto at the barbecue restaurant. It looked as though he had to ask you out at that very second or the world would end. He must've explained why, right?"

"Yeah, that was unexpected, even if it is Naruto we're talking about," Sakura nodded in agreement. "Sasuke didn't know why either, even though he was with him the whole time. He's just as confused and curious as the rest of us, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"... No, he's never told me exactly why he asked me." Feeling her heart clench tightly as she looked downwards and began tracing circles into Sakura's soft carpet. Hinata felt very small all of a sudden.

She had asked him why he asked her out on their first date... and he said that he had to and he wanted to be there with her. After she had heard him say that, Hinata had just accepted it. She had been enjoying the time they had spent together so much that since their first date she hadn't even thought of what might have caused his seemingly spontaneous action; just the fact that he had assured her that he had wanted to be with her was enough to make her feel almost giddy with excitement. But now that she thought about it more closely, she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. One minute Naruto had been ignoring her and the next he was practically on his knees asking her out.

"Poor Hinata!" Ino sympathized. "You told us all you've been doing on your dates is talking, but it seems like he hasn't told you anything!"

Hinata frowned. She had thought their dates had been going better than possible. Every time she would leave beaming and Naruto looked as if he enjoyed himself too. But was what Ino said true? Was there still a long distance between herself and Naruto even now? She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't prevent her uncertainty from gnawing away at the back of her mind.

"Don't worry," Sakura consoled, noticing Hinata's dejection. "It's always hard to see why Naruto does the things he does. I'm sure he'll tell you when the time comes."

"Mhm," Hinata nodded and brought her lips up into tiny smile. "You're probably right, Sakura."

But her smile didn't feel genuine at all. It was the only thing she could do to hide the new fear of her being further away from Naruto than she had thought.

* * *

><p>Prying his heavy eyelids open, Naruto rubbed his eyes blearily, groaning. The warm bed covers surrounding him only increased the temptation to just fall back to sleep again, but as his hungry belly let out a growl that had nothing to do with the Kyuubi, Naruto knew it was no use. If it came down to a battle between food and sleep, unfortunately the latter was victorious every time.<p>

Willing himself to rise and cursing his rebellious stomach, Naruto managed to crawl out of bed and stumbled towards the kitchen, reaching to scratch under his armpit and yawning widely. Heaving the refrigerator door open he reached inside lazily, hoping to find something to lessen his hunger. To his dismay he clasped only air and he let out a groan of frustration as he realized the shelves were bare. A disappointed growl rumbled from his stomach.

Scratching his head, confused, Naruto began searching the cupboards in his kitchen, but they were empty too and he let out a sigh. "Food, where did ya go?" he cried tiredly, desperate to satiate his hunger. He tried to remember when he had last gone shopping at the supermarket, but his mind was a blank. He'd been so busy recently there just hadn't been time this last week; what with training and missions and... dates. A goofy grin plastered itself onto Naruto's face at the thought of the petite Hyuuga he had been spending more and more time with.

"Hinata..." he murmured to himself, liking the way it sounded coming from his lips. Tempted, he repeated her name again, louder, in almost a sing-song voice. He laughed at himself, only to be interrupted by his irritated and impatient stomach.

Giving in, Naruto hurried to get his clothes on– his usual bright orange pants and a dark t-shirt. They were clean enough, he assumed, after giving them a quick sniff. Briefly, while slipping on his shoes, he wondered if Hinata would cook for him. Grinning inwardly at the thought, he vaguely imagined her serving up a huge, steaming bowl of homemade ramen in front of him with a smile...

Snapping himself out of his dreamy reverie, although he still couldn't keep himself from smiling at the thought, Naruto raced to the door of his apartment, rushing down the two flights of steps and making it outside. The chill air hit Naruto hard and some of his drowsiness began to fade. He wished he'd put on his jacket, but was too lazy to go back up and get it.

Naruto rubbed his chin with one hand, squinting his eyes as he tried to think of what he needed to buy. Ramen. Milk. Sakura had always bugged him to buy fruit and veggies, but he never took up her advice. But if he wanted Hinata to cook for him... he would need them, right?

Realizing that he was daydreaming about Hinata yet again, Naruto ran a hand through his hair, feeling both sheepish and confused, and shook himself. What was with him? Almost every thought he had eventually led back to her. Ever since their first date he couldn't get the quiet, pale eyed girl's face out of his mind… and a large part of that was probably down to the fact that, deep down, he didn't want to stop thinking about her at all. He couldn't explain it, even to himself, but picturing her in his thoughts made him… happy. No, more than happy, he felt as though his spirits picked up every time he saw or heard anything that even reminded him of her.

He sighed, trying to ignore the heat that he felt in his cheeks. So he liked Hinata. Of course he did. Okay, maybe he _really_ liked Hinata. But what was wrong with that?

"Hey! Naruto!" shouted a high and somewhat annoying voice from behind him.

Naruto begrudgingly turned around. "Hi, Ino..."

He had never particularly cared for Ino. She had always been one of Sasuke's fangirls and was Sakura's rival, which made it even harder for him to try and like her. Admittedly she was a reliable ally when push came to shove and she was hardly a bad person or anything, but the fact that she was never really kind to him didn't help much either. But she was part of the Rookie Nine and therefore bundled up into his list of precious people. Although maybe further down on the list...

Ino studied him for a moment, her green eyes first flashing with curiosity and then mischief.

"Nice seeing you, Lover Boy." Ino strode up beside him. She had a mission to accomplish for Hinata's sake after all. She couldn't pass up this chance.

Naruto gritted his teeth. Okay, so Ino really got on his nerves. But he was a mature citizen of Konoha. He wasn't going to snap back at her like he would have in the past. He was above that.

"Nice to see you too." He smiled, proud of himself for keeping his cool in the face of Ino's sharp tongue.

Ino smirked confidently and began pacing around the taller boy. Naruto shuffled his feet awkwardly; the way Ino was staring at him so piercingly was making him feel uncomfortable.

"Well, I'd better get going," he said, trying to sound cheerful and casual under her gaze whilst at the same time edging around her to hopefully escape. "See you arou–"

"Hold on a second," Ino interrupted, blocking his path and cutting Naruto's attempts to get away short. "I've been talking to Hinata recently about how the two of you have been going out together and I've got a few questions to ask you."

Naruto glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wary. He'd heard Shikamaru's complaints often enough to know that when Ino was determined to get her hands on a piece of gossip she'd do anything in her power to obtain it. The last thing he wanted her to do was spread stories of his love life around the village. "… Like what?" he said cautiously, keeping on his guard.

"Well, for a start…" Ino drawled confidently, taking her time and enjoying watching Naruto squirm as she began her mini 'interrogation' session. "How about… Have you and Hinata had sex yet?"

"W-W-What?" Naruto spluttered, stopping in his tracks. Did she just say what he thought she said?

"You know, sex," said Ino in a matter-of-fact voice. "You used protection, right? We don't want a pregnant Hinata on our hands."

Naruto gulped, flabbergasted. What was Ino talking about? Sex with _Hinata_? He had never even put the two concepts together in his head. Sure, he was a teenaged guy and everything, but sex was a topic reserved for the Pervy Sage's erotic novels and, despite the old lecher's attempts to persuade him, he'd always tried to avoid the sleazy clubs and bars that the Toad Sannin had frequented.

"Of course not!" Naruto cried, his voice getting high with embarrassment.

Ino raised her eyebrows and had to fight back a smile, enjoying Naruto's panicked reaction this was going a bit far, seeing as she already knew that they hadn't even kissed, but this was sure to get him thinking about Hinata in that way a little bit, right? The poor girl probably would have to wait months if it weren't for her taking action right now. Ino considered herself a saint.

"Me and Hinata – we never –" Naruto was a flustered mess now and people were noticing, giving Konoha's hero strange glances as they walked by. "That's crazy! You're crazy!" He stuffed his hands into his pockets and tried to make a hasty exit. There was no way he was going to stay around her any longer.

"Wait!" Ino called. She couldn't lose him now! She still had more to talk with him about!

Reluctantly, Naruto stopped. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his face resembling a tomato. "What is it?" he asked shortly, his eyebrow twitching with annoyance.

"Naruto, all I want to know is _why_ you asked Hinata out. I can't have you breaking the girl's heart now."

Naruto sighed, giving in. "... Because... I _like_ her, okay?"

Ino smirked. "We all know that, lover boy. You were pretty obvious back at the restaurant. I just want to know what caused you to like her so suddenly."

"I don't know!" Naruto replied. "It just happened, you know?"

"Uhuh." Ino waited. She could guess Naruto was still hiding something.

"Erm..." Naruto ran his hand through his blond hair, doubtful about telling Ino. He hadn't even told Hinata yet.

Ino tapped her foot, impatient. "Or we could talk about sex."

"Alright, alright," he caved. She smiled. "I guess… well… after talking to Sasuke I kinda realized that I couldn't just keep avoiding the situation and I had to put things right with Hinata."

"You're kidding!" Ino gasped, wondering if she heard correctly. _Sasuke_? The same dark, seemingly emotionless _Sasuke_ brought Naruto and Hinata together before, _Ino_ the self-proclaimed love expert did? She couldn't believe it.

"Nope!" said Naruto smugly, taking a slightly childish satisfaction at seeing Ino just as confused as he had been. "Now, if you don't mind, I've gotta go and get my shopping done. See ya!" Ending the conversation abruptly, Naruto ran off towards the supermarket, leaving Ino behind in the middle of the street. There was no time to elaborate – not that he wanted to – as his stomach was still empty and he needed to eat. He wasn't about to let Ino hold him up any longer.

After Ino took a moment to collect herself, she calmly re-evaluated the situation.

Naruto liked Hinata. Check.

Naruto thought of Hinata in _that_ way. Not yet, but the signs were there for the future.

Sasuke was the matchmaker. It seemed unlikely, but it was still possible.

'Damn,' Ino thought. She had so many things to tell Sakura.

_**End of Chapter 3**_

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><p><strong>AN: Whaaaaat? This chapter took way longer than it was supposed to. I was a lazy writer, and so I didn't get it sent into my beta until recently, so apologies.**

**As always, I'd like to thank my awesome and patient and wonderful beta SourGrapes101.**

**Oh, and those who are wondering why Ino's eyes are described as green, it's because that's how Kishi colours them in the manga. The anime made them blue, but I'm sticking with manga canon y'all. :B**

**Thanks for putting up with me, and please review if you feel the need too. It boosts my self-esteem by more than you can comprehend.**

– **Brita**


	4. Strength

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, but I believe it was wholeheartedly worth the wait. I know both Alex (Sourgrapes101) and I put so much work and effort into this, I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Fearless<strong>

_**Chapter 4 – Strength**_

Pulling her jacket closer around her as a sudden gust of cold air tugged at the material with teasing fingers, Hinata shivered as she walked down Konoha's high street, already missing the warmth of Sakura's cozy home.

Ino had left slightly earlier, saying that she needed to get back to the flower shop before her shift began – though Hinata could have sworn that for some reason the blonde haired girl was smiling craftily at her as she'd said it – but she herself had left soon after. She'd enjoyed the company of both girls and been thankful for the way that they'd been so welcoming, but after the topic of Naruto had cropped up in the conversation…

She sighed, a pained frown creasing her forehead. Once her doubts had resurfaced it had been impossible for her to wholeheartedly engage with her fellow kunoichi, no matter how hard she tried. Even now that she was alone she couldn't stop thinking about the implications of their questions.

Were she and Naruto really so far apart? She tried telling herself she was just being silly and to stop worrying herself unnecessarily like she did in the past, but even so it felt like an invisible wall had appeared between herself and the orange clad boy whenever she thought of their past dates.

Hinata bit her lower lip uncertainly. Her mind was a confused mess right now. It had been so easy to talk with Naruto during their past few dates, but did it all really count for nothing? She almost wanted to cry; she had thought her relationship with Naruto had been going so well until those old doubts at the back of her mind had come to the forefront once again.

Being with Naruto had always made her heart swell with happiness, but whenever she felt like she was getting closer to him her dream of walking by his side felt like just that; nothing more than a dre–

"Oof!"

Stumbling slightly and snapping out of her chain of thought, Hinata discovered that she had just collided with someone who had been carrying a couple of shopping bags, which had spilled out all over the street. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized hastily, dropping down to her knees and doing her best to haphazardly gather up the items. "I didn't m-mean to bump into you like that at all, it's all my fault!"

Feeling very flustered by her clumsiness she stretched out her hand to pick up a carton of milk that had fallen, still apologizing profusely, but just as she was about to retrieve it a surprised voice asked, "Hinata? What're you doing here?" and stopped her dead in her tracks.

The Hyuuga heiress' eyes widened and she let out a panicked gasp, her head snapping up. She would've been able to identify the owner of that voice in her sleep. Sure enough the figure of Naruto was crouching above her, his head cocked quizzically to the side and staring at her with raised eyebrows.

Blushing with mortification Hinata ducked her head down, trying to hide her reddened face from view and inwardly bemoaning her luck. Of all the people that she could have collided with, why did it have to be Naruto? Even worse than looking like a total klutz, she didn't feel ready to see him. Not now. Not with her mind a panicking mess.

Swallowing nervously, Hinata did her best to keep her voice level. Now that she was face-to-face with Naruto, all those doubts that had previously been in the back of her mind had now been brought straight to the forefront. "Um, I'm very s-sorry about your groceries," she said in a small voice, getting back to her feet shakily. "I didn't mean to bump into you like that."

Naruto coughed awkwardly and stared at her, slightly red-faced himself, and Hinata ducked her head again, ashamed to find that she was afraid to meet his eyes. "It's fine," he replied in a somewhat flustered voice, scuffing the dirt with the heel of his sandal. "It's not your fault. I should've been looking where I was going anyway."

An awkward silence stretched out for a few seconds after Naruto's answer and Hinata had to fight against the urge to revert back to her childish habit of pressing her index fingers together. That feeling of the invisible barrier between them, that she had imagined earlier, was stifling; even though Naruto was within touching distance he felt desperately far away from the indigo haired girl's fingertips. Further than ever before.

Naruto opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped, grimacing. Raising her eyes again, Hinata felt a bolt of fear strike her as she saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

Maybe, a voice in her head whispered, the reason that he was feeling so awkward and was because he had come to the same conclusions she had. Did that mean… he was just trying to find the right words to end their relationship?

Hinata stiffened, bracing herself for the words that were sure to come. There was no doubt in her mind anymore, only the cold, stark reality. Naruto had tried being with her, but now he was about to end it all. The idea of a relationship between the two of them lasting, she told herself painfully, was just a silly, girlish delusion.

As Naruto took a step closer, wetting his lips nervously with his tongue, Hinata silently willed herself not to cry when the inevitable words came from his mouth. He was clearly trying to break the news as gently as possible in an attempt to be kind, so her tears would just make him feel guilty. That was the last thing Hinata wanted. His happiness was more important than her own.

"Hinata?" Naruto said hesitantly, running a hand through his untidy hair.

'_This is it,'_ she thought to herself, her heartbeat loud in her ears. _'It's over.'_

"Y-Yes?" Wincing at her stutter and the high pitched, almost panicky voice she had spoken in, Hinata tugged at the fabric of her jacket in a vain effort to prevent her feelings – a confused, overwhelming storm of anxiety, desolation and anger at her own weakness – from getting the better of her.

Her bottom lip trembled and she struggled to hold back tears, frustrated at how childish she was being, but she couldn't stop her heart from hurting all the same. Even though she wanted to accept that it wasn't meant to be… she just couldn't bring herself to move on like that. She cared for Naruto too much to instantly turn off her feelings like a light switch.

The blond haired boy cleared his throat, moving another step towards her so that they were only inches apart, and despite the desolation she felt inside, Hinata couldn't prevent a small, sad smile from passing across her face momentarily.

Even now, when she was certain that the next words to come out of his mouth would be a final rejection of her affections, she still felt that same, familiar warmth inside her heart as she gazed into his blue eyes.

And then, the next thing she knew, Naruto had closed the distance between them and wrapped her tightly in his arms, holding her close against him. Hinata let out a surprised squeak at the sudden contact, her face instantly turning cherry red, but after recovering slightly from the initial shock, she hesitantly returned his embrace, a giddy feeling of euphoria flowing from her head right down to the tips of her toes.

He was _hugging_ her. He'd _chosen_ to hug her. It was like something out of a wonderful daydream, but so much better. She still didn't know what to think, but after her previous certainty that Naruto had been about to break up with her, the overriding emotions in her mind right now were a combination of both joy and pure relief.

As Naruto tightened his grip ever so slightly, pulling her in closer, Hinata felt torn, unable to decide whether she should just relax into his arms and try and enjoy the sensation for as long as possible or to speak up.

As wonderful as it felt to be pressed against Naruto's strong chest – her blush darkened at that particular thought – the more she thought about it the more she couldn't help but fret at just what had prompted the blond haired boy's sudden desire for physical contact. Even for someone as unpredictable as Naruto this was definitely out of the ordinary. And after how certain she'd been that he was going to end their relationship moments before…

Swallowing, Hinata took a shaky breath and gently disentangled herself from the embrace, despite the strong urge to just melt against the orange clad boy. It had only lasted a few seconds, but even in that short amount of time that invisible wall she had imagined between them was shattered and her feelings of doubt, previously overwhelming, had been silenced, at least temporarily.

But Hinata knew that she had to say _something_; after all the emotions she'd been through she _needed_ some sort of an answer. If she could finally banish these silly worries – yes, _silly_, she repeated firmly in her head – about Naruto leaving her then she had no reason to be fearful anymore.

Seeing Naruto's ever so slightly hurt expression at her ending of the embrace made Hinata feel a pang of guilt and she quickly tried to explain herself to him – she didn't want him to feel as though she was distancing herself from him.

"Naruto, w-what was…?" she began in a flustered voice, stumbling over her words in her rush to try and express how she felt. She was painfully aware that her face was positively glowing red right now, but she was smiling all the same and before her embarrassment could get the better of her she hastily added, "I d-don't mean I didn't enjoy it – I, um, I r-really did –" she felt her blush heat up her face even further at this point, but pressed on regardless "– but why did you…?"

As Hinata trailed off, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, not sure what to say. When he'd accidentally collided with her in the street he'd been caught off guard, but Hinata's reaction to seeing him had made him feel even more surprised.

She'd looked so sad and forlorn that he didn't know what he could possibly do to cheer her up. His hug had been completely impulsive. It was the only thing he could think of to try and make that downcast expression on her face disappear; maybe it would convey the words he couldn't find to comfort her.

Realizing he was keeping Hinata waiting, Naruto laughed, somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry. I just wanted to say that… I've really missed you. A lot. And I wanted to see you happy. But I kinda didn't know how to tell you… so..."

"Naruto…" Hinata whispered in a daze, almost to herself. Her entire body felt as though it was weightless, being carried on a soft blissful cloud at his answer. She was so happy she felt almost like laughing. His goofy grin, stretching across his face and making his whisker marks crinkle, was making her heart skip a beat every time she gazed across at him and caught his eye.

As Hinata began shyly fiddling with a loose strand of hair, her eyes bright, Naruto had to fight against the urge to stare at her. The lingering sensation of how she had felt in his arms – warm, comfortable and somehow soothing – was more than enough to make him see her in an entirely new light.

He'd known she was a girl before, of course, but this was totally different. His eyes were being drawn almost magnetically to her lips too – soft and pink and ever so slightly parted. Quickly he looked away, red faced as Ino's words from earlier echoed in the back of his mind.

Sneaking a peak out of the corner of his eye, thankful that she hadn't spotted him openly gawking at her, Naruto tried to collect his thoughts with a glance up at the sky – hey, if it worked for Shikamaru, why not him?

The sun was just beginning to poke out from the cover of clouds, patches of blue sky now visible, and Naruto breathed in deeply, enjoying the fresh air.

Looking back to Hinata, Naruto thrust his hands in his pockets, feeling a little self-conscious – he'd never been good with the romantic sort of details. "So, uh, Hinata, are we still on for our date this afternoon then?"

"Date? Oh, right, of course," she replied breathlessly, nodding her head eagerly – the hug had left her in such a daze that she'd momentarily forgotten that they had another date. "Was there anything you wanted to do?"

Naruto thought it over for a second. "Maybe we could do some training together and then have a meal afterwards?" he suggested. "I was going to train with Sasuke, but yesterday he told me he couldn't make it. Said something about something unexpected coming up… that guy always tries to be so mysterious, it bugs the crap out of me. But I bet it'd be more fun training with you, anyway; it'd be great to see how much you've improved and I could show you a few of my moves too! How about it?"

Hinata's eyes widened at the proposition. Part of her was a little anxious to accept, since she'd never sparred with him before, but the idea of proving to Naruto just how much she'd changed herself was uplifting. He could see for himself how he'd inspired her to never give up on herself.

As Hinata remained silent, Naruto shuffled his feet, suddenly worried that it was a bad idea – he was no expert on the subject of dating, but he suspected that most girls probably wouldn't have sparring practice in mind when thinking of a romantic day out. "If you don't want to that's okay too," he mumbled, scratching at the ground with the heel of his sandal. "I mean, I guess that wasn't the best idea. We could always –"

"No!" Hinata interrupted in a voice that was almost a shout, with a vehement shake of the head. Blushing as she realized the volume she'd spoken at, she lowered her voice and continued, "Um, I mean, I'd love to train with you. Really."

Naruto's face broke out into a wide smile. "Great! Meet me at the third training ground then in about three hours? That way you can have time to get your gear and all that. It'll give me a chance to put away my shopping and get something to eat as well." His stomach let out a groan of hunger at that point, cutting him short, and Hinata muffled a giggle behind her hand, her lavender eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hey!" Naruto scowled jokingly, pretending to be offended. "There's nothing wrong with me being hungry!"

Hinata tried unsuccessfully to fight back her laughter and Naruto chuckled too, his whisker marks stretched across his cheeks as he grinned. He was feeling lighter and more at ease than he could ever remember.

Her giggles subsiding, Hinata nodded, a smile lighting up her face. Now that she was in Naruto's company it made her wonder why on earth she'd felt any doubt in the first place; it was almost impossible _not_ to feel happy in his presence. "Okay, I'll see you then."

"Yeah, see you." Naruto held Hinata's gaze for a few seconds, wanting to stay for longer, but as his stomach let out yet another mutinous grumble he forced himself to turn away, taking one last glance and waving. The indigo haired girl waved back at him and he grinned to himself before setting off for home, a spring in his step.

* * *

><p>A single cloud drifted in front of the glaring sun, the world dimming for a moment. Hinata let out an exhausted sigh relieved by the slight change in temperature, no matter how small it may have been. The gusty morning was now nothing more than a distant memory under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun.<p>

Wanting to escape some of the heat, Hinata gathered her loose hair and tied it into a ponytail on the back of her head. She smiled tiredly and decided to also shed her jacket and tie it snugly around her waist. It was hot days like these that made her reconsider wearing her bulky but modest clothing.

As Hinata raised a hand to shield her eyes against the sun, the training field came into view – the same field that she and Naruto had talked at so long ago, just before the final Chuunin Exam. She remembered how unsure he looked of himself, afraid about his match with Neji. This was the place where she had felt like she had taken a step closer to him for the first time. The time when she could finally help Naruto instead of it being the other way around. With a soft smile, Hinata felt that familiar tingle of pleasure, that only he seemed able to trigger in side of her, as she recalled how he had said that he _liked people like her_... the moment she realized she loved him.

And since that day she had never stopped loving him.

Reaching the field, Hinata looked around, hoping to spot a distinctive flash of orange, but there was no sign of Naruto as of yet. She knew that she was a few minutes early, but she couldn't prevent her nervous excitement from rising all the same. This was her chance to show Naruto her strength; she couldn't blow it!

Lowering herself down to sit against one of the training posts, Hinata waited quietly, listening idly to the sound of the birds singing in the trees surrounding the field. If it hadn't been for her anxious excitement at the chance to show her skills to Naruto she would almost have felt drowsy in the heavy afternoon heat, and she fanned herself with one hand in an effort to conjure up some sort of breeze. She was considering taking her sandals off for a moment to let her feet breathe, but before she could make up her mind she heard footsteps in the distance and, turning her head, she saw Naruto jogging towards her in the distance.

"Yo! Hinata!" the blond boy called out to her, approaching the field quickly.

She smiled, happy to see the one she loved. "Hi Naruto!" Hinata called back, her enthusiasm evident in her voice.

Breaking out into a sprint for the remaining distance, Naruto reached her in a matter of seconds, his trademark grin firmly in place as he stood in front of her.

Glancing at her, Naruto was taken aback as he noticed that her hair was styled differently than usual; rather than flowing down her back past her shoulder blades, like it normally did, it was held up by a loose ponytail. The difference was noticeably pronounced at first – it particularly emphasised the pale skin of her neck – but after getting over his initial surprise Naruto had to admit that it looked quite good on the Hyuuga girl. It made her look more forceful, as though she was ready for anything.

It was then that Naruto's eyes trailed further down, towards her chest, and his eyebrows jumped up. Her seemingly ever-present lilac and white jacket was missing, tied around her waist rather than covering her body, and a dark, formfitting T-shirt was instead visible. Naruto tugged at his collar uncomfortably, feeling the heat rise to his face – this was his first time seeing Hinata's body in such detail and he couldn't help but notice that over the years she'd developed some _very _nice curves.

Mentally shaking himself, Naruto tore his eyes away, cursing his hormones. He needed to get a grip, or else he was going to end up like the Pervy Sage. He felt a pang of guilt as he realized that Hinata definitely wouldn't want him staring at her in that way. Feeling bad about the way he'd acted, he coughed and asked awkwardly, "So, uh, how come you're wearing your hair up like that Hinata?"

Her hands rising automatically to her ponytail at Naruto's words, Hinata ducked her head slightly, feeling suddenly shy. "D-Do you like it? It was getting a little hot, so…" She trailed off, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, it looks fine," he answered, grinning reassuringly at her. "Better than fine even; it looks really good!"

"A-Ah! T-Thank you, N-Naruto." Hinata blushed, surprised but secretly delighted by Naruto's praise; it was the first time he had complimented her on her looks and although she was by no means obsessed by her appearance, it was certainly very flattering to know that he was noticing those sorts of details about her. Hinata had never thought of herself as ugly or anything, but compared to Sakura, Ino and Tenten she'd always thought of herself as just _plain. _Glancing at Naruto, who was just unzipping his own jacket, Hinata's flushed face turned an even darker shade of red as she mumbled, "I… um… I think you look nice too," suddenly finding her sandals very interesting to look at.

Hinata wasn't lying. She had never fallen for Naruto because of his looks, of course, but over the years she had to admit he had become very attractive. He was tall now, his skin was tanned and he was muscled from his his intense training. And that wasn't even mentioning his expressive blue eyes, tousled hair and that smile of his that could light up a room. Hinata wasn't oblivious to the whispers of the girls in Konoha, talking about the ever so handsome hero.

"Huh? I look the same as I always do!" Naruto laughed, his blue eyes squinting shut to make room for his huge smile.

Hinata giggled with amusement at Naruto's typically clueless answer; he may have been dense at times, but she couldn't imagine him any other way. It was just so… so _him_.

As Naruto's laughter died down and he clasped his hands around the back of his neck, relaxing, Hinata remembered that they were supposed to be training and felt the need to steer the conversation to the reason why they were there in the first place. "Naruto, shall we get started now?" she suggested

"Yeah! Show me your stuff!"

Hinata tried to keep her blushing under control as she moved her feet and hands into the tradition Gentle Fist stance. Naruto's face hardened, his eyes becoming intense.

"Don't hold back on me, Hinata," Naruto warned as they stared each other down. The Hyuuga girl was surprised to note that Naruto's taijutsu stance was very unusual, but she kept her focus, locking eyes with him.

"I won't. I'll do my best," she assured, gathering her chakra to her eyes. She ran her tongue over her dry lips, moistening them, before calling out, "Byakugan!"

And with those words Hinata lunged forwards, arms moving to strike Naruto. He pivoted and dodged before she could make contact and Hinata nearly lost her footing for a second, stumbling awkwardly. Quickly recovering her foothold before Naruto was able to take advantage, she aimed a fierce palm strike at Naruto's midriff, but Naruto diverted her arm in midair, knocking her to the side. Seeing an opportunity as Naruto was left slightly off balance, Hinata turned on one foot and dropped down, trying to sweep away his legs, but Naruto anticipated it and jumped over her outstretched leg, his leap backwards putting some distance between himself and the heiress.

Gritting her teeth in frustration at her inability to connect, Hinata dashed forward, her hands glowing a faint blue as she channeled chakra to her fingertips – not enough to cause Naruto any serious internal injuries with her Gentle Fist style of course, but enough to show that she wasn't taking this lightly. She _wanted_ to land a hit, to prove – both to herself and Naruto – that she really had gotten stronger over the years.

Jabbing with the index and middle fingers of her left hand she aimed at the chakra points clustered around one of his shoulders, trying to lock up the joint, but the blond haired boy was again too fast, ducking and weaving around her blows. She tried to attack even faster, her hands darting through the air as she struck at Naruto, but no matter how hard she tried he was equal to it, avoiding her with incredible reflexes. He hadn't even launched a single attack of his own yet and she still hadn't been able to connect. How was she supposed to keep up with him?

"C'mon, Hinata." panted Naruto encouragingly, a teasing glint in his eye as he watched her rest her hands on her knees and attempt to catch her breath. "You can't be tired already, can you? I know you can do better!"

Hinata's eyes narrowed. He was right; she _could_ do better. Naruto wouldn't give up in this situation, so neither should she. Until she managed to land an attack she vowed to herself that she wasn't going to quit, even if it took all night.

She ran towards him and tried to hit him once more, but missed yet another time. Again, again, and again, she moved to make contact with him and he would move out of the way just in time.

The indigo haired girl straightened up, repositioning her forehead protector, and took a deep, soothing breath. She needed to calm herself down – the frustration at not being able to catch Naruto was making her impatient. She just had to keep it up and keep trying.

Her forehead furrowing with concentration as she intensified her Byakugan vision, she ran towards him again, striking with a barrage of palm strikes. Naruto grinned at her determination and let out a grunt of approval as he blocked her first strike with his forearm and ducked under her second, but the Hyuuga heiress was still unable to make contact with any meaningful attack. However, she was encouraged that at least now she was getting closer – his blocks were becoming more and more desperate, she was sure of it. In her last onslaught he had just barely whipped his head out the way of a scything uppercut, diverted a roundhouse kick at the last second and dived over her leg to avoid a knee strike to the stomach.

Hinata could feel herself getting tired and the heat wasn't helping, but she wasn't about to give up. Not now. She lunged at him again, her ponytailed hair whipping out behind her, and Naruto again evaded her attack, but he failed to notice that Hinata had backed him up against a tree until it was was too late. Cursing his lack of awareness for his surroundings Naruto looked desperately for an escape route, but Hinata was too quick and, rushing forward with her hands glowing, caught him with a glancing blow to the side of his ribcage.

Hinata had to fight back a cheer of delight and she almost faltered for a second, before refocusing herself quickly, determined to follow up on her initial success. That single hit had given her the the slight advantage and she didn't let up, peppering him with Gentle Fist strikes. Naruto defended himself as much as he could but with his back against the trunk of the tree he couldn't back away.

Forced to take some of the blows and wincing as a particularly painful palm thrust impacted against his elbow joint – even though Hinata wasn't using enough chakra to lock his chakra points, it still hurt like a pin jabbing at his bare flesh – Naruto was finally able to get away with a well timed shadow clone serving as a momentary distraction

They both were breathing hard now and were back staring each other down, both waiting for the other to make a move

"Nice job," Naruto praised, grinning in spite of the minor beating he'd just taken. "But now it's your turn to defend!"

Without any further warning Naruto darted forward, launching himself straight into a powerful left hook. Hinata was taken aback by his speed but parried as best as she could with her forearm whilst simultaneously spinning into a counterstrike with her knee. Naruto was forced to take a step back to give himself room to maneuver in order to block her attack and, emboldened by her earlier success, Hinata sensed an opportunity, aiming at Naruto's stomach with a Gentle Fist strike.

However, to her surprise Naruto was able to arch his back and her lunge missed. Quick as a flash Naruto grabbed hold of her wrist with both hands and flipped her, sending the Hyuuga girl tumbling to the ground.

Hinata felt the air forced out of her lungs as she landed hard, leaving her winded, but she rolled with the impact. As she scrambled back to her feet, panting for breath, her Byakugan picked up two kunai flying through the air towards Hinata. Swiftly she ducked out of their way, but then her eyes widened as she realized that a third and fourth were following closely behind, hidden in the shadow of the first two weapons. Hinata didn't have enough time to get out of the way, so she quickly focused her chakra and forced it out of her palm. The air rippled as the chakra, acting as a makeshift barrier, hit the kunai and knocked them both to the ground, rendering them useless.

Naruto blinked, surprised but impressed at the the same time. The technique she had just used had neutralized the weapons in an instant – she had moved her hands so swiftly through the air that he had barely registered her motions until the kunai had fallen uselessly to the ground. And the way that the chakra had out of her palm, reminded him of a different jutsu he'd seen her perform too...

"Wait, Hinata," he said. "Back then, what was that jutsu you used against Pain?"

Hinata hesitated, a little startled by Naruto's sudden question**.** "It's called _Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists_."

"What cool name! Did you make it up?"

Hinata nodded, her face pink. "Ah… well, I had the initial idea but Neji and Hanabi helped me... I, um, talked with Neji about your Rasengan and since we knew the basics of the technique we tried to incorporate parts of it into our family's Gentle Fist style. It took a lot of trial and effort, but after a long time we managed to create the Twin Lion Fists."

Naruto's mouth hung open in shock. "You made a technique combining my dad's jutsu with your Gentle Fist?"

Hinata bit her lip apprehensively, worried that Naruto might have been angry at her 'plagiarism' of sorts. "I-I'm sorry I didn't ask you if –"

"No! Hinata that's... that's... _incredible! _Tell me, what does it do?"

Hinata was taken aback by his enthusiasm and she fumbled for words. She had not been expecting so much praise from Naruto and she felt her cheeks heat up with blush.

"Um, well, it damages both the chakra system and internal organs, but with a larger target area, shutting down multiple chakrapoints at once," she explained modestly, feeling self-conscious but at the same time elated by Naruto's interest. "And like the Rasengan... in theory it could be combined with a nature affinity… I've been trying recently, but I haven't really made any progress so far." She sighed dejectedly, feeling a little downcast at her lack of success.

"You've gotta show me this Hinata!"

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers. "I don't know… Neji knows the technique too, so perhaps he'd be better at demonstrating it…"

Naruto took a step closer towards the Hyuuga heiress. "Yeah, maybe. But I want to see _you_ do it. Not Neji. Not Hanabi. I want to see Hinata Hyuuga."

Hinata felt her cheeks flush and she found herself unable to look away from him as the golden sunlight illuminated him in a warm glow. He was her sun, her warmth and her guide all in one, and he made her happier than she could have possibly believed all those years ago when her confidence had been at its lowest ebb. Naruto was the light in her life that she would never be able to walk away from.

"Show me, Hinata," he urged, breaking her from her daze.

Collecting herself, she nodded; this was Naruto, she didn't need to be scared. "Okay, Naruto."

Hinata moved into the Gentle Fist stance again and began to concentrate on forcing the chakra within her to surge and collect near her hands. She had trained so hard, practiced this technique for days on end. The familiar feeling was almost a comfort. The blazing blue lions formed quickly and she could feel the power pulsing from them. Clenching her teeth, Hinata focused even more energy, the air around her beginning to crackle, and made her chakra flare out from her palms in two huge bursts. Then she launched herself forward, the spectral looking lions looking as though they were living, breathing creatures as they left a trail of burning blue light in their wake like real manes.

Her hands ablaze, in a single leap she was right in front of Naruto, who was caught flatfooted at the speed of her technique. Ducking inside his guard, Hinata propelled both arms forward and the lions dashed towards him like an extension of herself, dealing Naruto a twin fisted hammer blow to the chest that sent him sprawling to the ground. Hinata saw with her Byakugan that almost half of Naruto's chakra points were instantly locked with the impact.

Her heart racing, the Hyuuga heiress deactivated her bloodline and released her jutsu, hands covering her mouth in horror as she rushed over to Naruto's side in panic; she hadn't meant to hit him that hard! Naruto lay still on the ground, save for the slight movement of his chest as he breathed, and his eyes were clenched shut in a grimace of pain

Hinata knelt down beside him, laying a hand hesitantly on his shoulder. "Naruto, are you okay?"

She heard a groan escape his mouth.

Hinata clasped at the hem of her T-shirt nervously, biting her bottom lip. Even though Naruto had told her not to hold back she still felt guilty about hurting him in what was only meant to be a sparring session. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, revealing the stunning blue Hinata pictured in her mind so often. "It's fine, don't worry," he said, a lopsided grin on his face. "But man that hurt. You can really pack a punch!"

The dark haired girl let out a sigh of relief and, despite her worry, a small smile found its way to her lips; if Naruto was well enough to make a joke of it then he couldn't have been too badly hurt by her attack. "Let me help you up," she offered. Giving Naruto her hand to pull himself up with, she felt a pleasant tingle as he clasped it tightly in his warm, roughened palms. She brushed the thought to one side, instead focusing on getting him standing again with his arm slung around her shoulders for support.

"I should be good in a few minutes," Naruto told her, breathing heavily. "Once that stupid fox's chakra starts running through my system I'll be able to stand on my own."

Hinata frowned slightly at the mention of the orange clad boy's demonic prisoner. Being with Naruto, she easily forgot about the demon inside of him. Not that it mattered to her, she loved him demon or not, but looking back on all the suffering Naruto endured because of it and knowing she had done nothing to help him back then… If only she had been brave enough to approach him back at the Academy, when he had been alone and friendless… but whenever the opportunity had arose she had always either lost her confidence or been drowned out by the other, louder students and not been there for him when he had most needed it.

Letting go of Hinata and smiling reassuringly at her worried expression, Naruto shifted his weight onto his own feet and tried to flex his muscles. He still felt sore all over, but at least he was able to stand and walk without too much difficulty.

Groaning as he tried stretching his arms above his head – evidently he hadn't recovered_ that_ much yet – he turned back to face the pale eyed girl alongside him. He'd always considered her tough before now, what with seeing her fight back in the Chuunin Exams against her cousin, but after experiencing her strength first hand his respect for her had definitely gone up another notch. "Y'know Hinata, that really was amazing," he commented, grinning at her cheerfully. "_You _were amazing."

Hinata's heart fluttered. This felt so different than what she was used to. Usually he was the one that was the center of attention, whether he was talking non-stop about the missions he'd been on or bragging about the latest jutsu he'd learned… but now the spotlight was now her and _he_ was amazed by something _she'd_ done. When he looked at her like that, blue eyes filled with admiration and pride, Hinata felt proud of her accomplishments too.

Naruto could always make her feel this way… like she was strong enough to do anything.

_**End of Chapter 4**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So was the wait worth it? ****I hope it was! Originally, this chapter contained two more scenes, but after Alex got back to me with his ****editing he had the idea to expand a short flashback that ended up ****becoming the opening scene of this chapter. Thanks to that, I like to think of him as co-author of this chapter**_**.**_

**So since this chapter was getting extreemly lengthy, we both thought it best to split it and put the rest in the next chapter, which should be published soon since its already wr****itten.**

**Thanks a bunch, and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews c:**

_**- **_**Brita**

**P.S If you havent read Alex's NH fanfiction "Waiting with Hope" yet, go do so NOW. Its really fantastic.**** His fanfiction account is Sourgrapes101 if I havent made that clear XD**_**  
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	5. A New Feeling

**Fearless**

_**Chapter 5 - A New Feeling**_

Sakura frowned. She just couldn't believe it. Earlier that day, much to her surprise, Ino had come barging into her house without any warning, rattling on and on about how she had talked with Naruto and how brilliant she was. Before Sakura had even had a chance to get a word in edgewise, she then went on to tell her Sasuke, _the_ Sasuke Uchiha, was the brilliant mastermind behind Naruto and and Hinata's romance. The pink haired medic nin had finally managed to cut her best friend's rambling short at that point – after all, there was no way that Sasuke would ever do something like that, right?

Ino had said she didn't believe it at first either, but the more he thought about it, the more she thought that it could be possible. The last Uchiha would have glared kunai at anyone that dared voice the opinion that he even remotely cared about Naruto, but Sakura knew that he prized his friendship and rivalry with the whiskered troublemaker on their team.

And so, after talking it over with Ino, her blonde haired friend had charged her with this stupid '_top secret mission_' to find out whether it was true or not. Sakura had protested at first – why did _she _have to be the one to quiz Sasuke when Ino was the one wanting answers? – but the Yamanaka girl had argued that, unlike Sakura, she wasn't Sasuke's teammate and that the pink haired medic nin would have a much better shot at wheedling some information out of him. Privately Sakura thought that her chances of getting Sasuke to open up about something like this were roughly the same as waking up to see Tonton flying past her bedroom window, but even so, Ino's logic did make sense. And she couldn't deny that she was very interested in just what had happened between Sasuke and Naruto to prompt the latter to ask Hinata out so unexpectedly.

Shaking her head with exasperation at the situation she found herself in, Sakura let out a sigh. Okay, she may have been curious too, but still – the things she did for her nosy friend.

So here she was, waiting outside of Sasuke's apartment, her clenched fist hovering an inch away from the door. For a few seconds Sakura just stood there, motionless, and to her annoyance she couldn't initially bring herself to rap on the wooden surface. Even as she tried to bring her fist down a new uncertainty or worry would pop up inside her head making her second guess herself or conjure up thoughts of Sasuke brushing her aside with his usual aloof attitude.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sakura mentally shook herself. Why was she making something that was so simple so difficult for herself? It was just a stupid door and she wasn't going to get any answers out of the Sharingan wielder by standing out here like a statue! Her irritation at her indecisiveness getting the better of her nerves, she gave it a hard knock three times.

After a tense wait, with Sakura's anticipation rising every passing second, the last Uchiha finally opened his door. His dark hair fell to the sides of his angular face, looking as well-groomed as ever. He was wearing a plain t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol on it and, as always, it was in pristine condition, as though it had been ironed mere minutes ago. His black eyes fell on Sakura, showing little emotion.

"Hi," Sakura greeted, smiling lightly. Already she could feel her stomach tangle into tight knots. Why'd he have to be so handsome _all_ of the time? It was like torture, always seeing something that she knew she couldn't have. Sure, he had come back to Konoha and turned a new leaf, but so far he hadn't seemed the least bit interested in her as anything more than an ally, a teammate and at a push _maybe _a friend.

It was Naruto after all who brought him back. Not her.

Gloomily, Sakura couldn't help but reflect that Sasuke had probably forgotten about her confession to him, all those years ago. Or he just thought it wasn't important enough to bring up. But he didn't seem interested in other girls either. The pinkette had begun to wonder if maybe he was gay. _'Or asexual,'_ she thought to herself with a snort of repressed laughter. The sad part was that she was only half joking.

Sakura stared into his eyes and he seemed to do the same for a moment, a spark of emotion flitting across his face. But then his eyes returned to their usual impassive, almost bored expression, and Sakura was left to wonder whether she'd just imagined it all in the first place.

"So are you ready to go? I mean, if not, I don't mind waiting."

"No, I'm ready." His eyes flicked away from hers and he shut the door behind him.

They walked down the narrow hallway in silence, Sakura struggling to figure out how she was going to get the information out of Sasuke. There was no chance she could just ask him, '_Hey, did you play matchmaker with Naruto and Hinata?_' Ino had tried to persuade her that it'd be easy, that he'd tell her anything, but although flattered, Sakura was very skeptical. They spent a lot of time together, but they barely ever had meaningful conversations. Most of them were just her prattling on and him responding with his usual grunt.

She guess she was lucky he even agreed to meet her. She knew Sasuke trained with Naruto almost everyday at this time, but to her surprise he'd said that he had nothing planned. By Sasuke's standards, that was practically a request to hang out with her.

When they arrived at the exit of the apartment building, Sasuke stopped and turned towards Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi was startled to note that rather than greeting her gaze with his own piercing stare, his black eyes were strangely lowered and didn't meet hers.

"... I forgot to say," he said in his smooth, deep voice that that Sakura loved so much, "... you look... nice."

Sakura's green eyes blinked a few times as her mind processed what he had just said. She had worn a skirt, shorter because of the heat of the day, and a shirt Ino had lent her that hugged her tightly without being _too_ revealing, but she would never have guessed that Sasuke might actually appreciate her efforts, let alone compliment her.

"W-W-Wha–" she stammered incredulously, her voice high pitched with astonishment.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance before he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the building. "Nothing," he muttered. "Forget I said it."

Looking at his back, Sakura couldn't see the slight hint of color on his cheeks.

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><p>Naruto leaned against a tree, relieved that the branches overhead were blocking the worst of the sun's rays and gulping down the water from the canteen Hinata had offered to him. He brought it away from his lips and sighed contentedly. The chakra burns he'd taken earlier had almost completely faded by now and even the blow to the chest from Hinata's <em>Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists<em> had died down to little more than a dull ache. Hinata had checked his recovery with her Byakugan too and she had assured him that almost all his chakra points were functioning again.

"I'm glad you heal so quickly," Hinata commented.

"Ah, me too! It'd be a pain to have to go and have Granny or Sakura heal me every time I got a scratch!" Naruto agreed.

"I'm sorry this wasn't really training for you though," she replied, glancing up at Naruto a little hesitantly. "You were mostly just helping me the whole time. You didn't get to do much other than dodge..."

"Nah, it's fine. It's nice to have something different. With Sasuke it's always genjustu and lightning and that stuff. And besides, next time we train together I'll get the chance to show you some of _my_ new jutsu." Realizing that he was getting ahead of himself, Naruto backtracked hurriedly, waving his hands. "Erm, y'know, as long as you want to keep sparring with me that is."

Hinata beamed at him brightly, delighted by his offer. "Thank you, Naruto… I'd really like that,"' she said softly.

The blond blushed and turned his head, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Her face was lit up with an honest smile that spread right to her pearly eyes and for a few seconds he found himself gazing at her, his heart skipping a beat. "Sure, Hinata. No problem."

Hinata looked downwards for a second, looking slightly shy but no less radiant to Naruto's eyes. Inching his hand closer, he reached out slowly to clasp her smaller palm in his, squeezing gently and grinning softly as he saw her eyes widen minutely before tightening her own grip, her lips molding into a tender smile.

The Hyuuga girl pressed closer to him, letting her head rest against his chest and Naruto instinctively wrapped his free arm around her waist, letting out a hum of contentment. The combination of the shade and the peaceful feeling of the pale eyed girl leaning against him made him feel completely relaxed, and as she let out a sigh of comfort at the contact he had to fight back a chuckle; she he had no idea how cute she could be when she did little things like that.

A strand of inky hair had come loose from her ponytail as she had ducked down, hanging across her face messily, and Naruto had almost found himself brushing it back behind her ear before catching himself just in time, mentally shaking himself out of his reverie. He just felt so comfortable around her that he couldn't help himself – it was so natural, so easy.

As he glanced down at her again, feeling her light breath against his neck, his own breath caught in his throat. He couldn't explain it, but the atmosphere had somehow shifted and he was struck by how close Hinata was to him. As if triggered by the physical contact, suddenly blood was pounding in his ears and his eyes were drawn, fascinated, to every last feature of the Hyuuga heiress' face – especially her lips, still graced with that soft smile.

He remembered, with a surging feeling of warmth that spread throughout his body, how soft her face had felt when he wiped away her tears on their first date, the image of her pale neck in the moonlight as he put the necklace on her and how perfectly she had fit inside of his arms earlier that day.

The whiskered boy found himself drawn in closer, so that he was mere inches away from her face, and Hinata raised her head from his chest, letting out a muffled squeak as she noticed his proximity. "N-Naruto…" she stuttered, her face hot and mind whirling as he leaned in towards her. Unconsciously she wetted her lips, her breath coming in barely more than gasps as Naruto's head filled her vision. The expression on his face sent electric jolts across the surface of her skin – he was looking at her so intensely, as though every last scrap of his attention was directed solely on her. She was dimly aware that her cheeks must have been cherry red, but she was far too focused on the blond boy in front of her to care. Each second felt drawn out to the limit and her body was tense with anticipation, but what exactly she was meant to be anticipating she honestly couldn't say. "... I-I... I forgot what I was going to say."

A small breeze disturbed the still air and Naruto noticed the loose strand of Hinata's hair he had picked up on earlier swaying from side to side. His body moving as if he was weightless, the blond reached out and took the strand of hair between his fingers. "Oh," he said tucking it behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin. "Was it important?"

"... I... I don't remember," she said in a whisper. She couldn't think of anything. She was too overwhelmed by Naruto's touch, as his callused fingertips gently traced her jawline and eventually reached her chin.

His breath coming slightly faster than usual, Naruto brought her face up, so he could see it fully. Hinata's cheeks were dusted with pink, her eyes half-closed as she gazed at him with her lips parted slightly.

There was a smudge of dirt on her jaw, most likely acquired some time during their spar. In fact the training session had left her hot, sweaty and covered in dust and bits of grass, but as far as Naruto was concerned that just showed that she had given it her all. And the more he took in her indigo hair, pearly eyes and kind smile, the more he realized… she really was beautiful. Why hadn't he figured that out before now?

Naruto edged closer yet again, now barely more than an inch away from Hinata. He breathed in deeply, savouring the grassy freshness of the air mixed with the faintest fragrance of strawberry – _'Maybe from her shampoo,_' he thought to himself idly – and, fascinated, watched the warm streams of sunlight pouring through the tree canopy playing across her pale, smooth skin.

"Hinata…" Naruto breathed out, locking gazes with her and questioning her wordlessly. The moment seemed to extend indefinitely, everything poised on a knife edge. And then, spurred on by an impulse and the expression in her eyes – apprehension, certainly, but he was almost sure he could see the faintest flicker of excitement too – Naruto finally acted, pressing his slightly chapped lips against her warm ones.

Hinata stiffened at first, her eyes widening as a wave of uncertainty and hesitancy hit her. But then she snapped back to the reality of what was happening – Naruto was kissing her and she wasn't going to waste even an instant thinking about what ifs when she could be savouring the moment for as long as possible.

Standing up on tiptoe, Hinata pressed her lips back against Naruto's, timidly at first but slowly growing in confidence as she felt him shift his weight slightly to meet her mouth more easily. Feeling herself melting into the kiss bit by bit, Hinata relaxed, closing her eyes and allowing the sensations to wash over her. She lifted her arms that had hung limp at her sides to wrap around his neck, her hands tangling in his blond hair as she pulled him closer.

She had imagined this scenario so many times in her mind, but she had never captured what she was feeling now. The warm sensation of his lips was simple, but it felt so gentle and undemanding to her that it was perfect and the tingles running down her spine as he cupped her face in his hand were amazing. Never before had she felt so close to Naruto.

Eventually – Hinata had lost all track of time for the duration of the kiss, but she guessed it couldn't have been any longer than thirty seconds or so – they parted, both breathing deeply. Not wanting the feeling of blissful togetherness to end, Hinata hugged him even more tightly, burying her head into Naruto's chest as the taller boy instinctively stroked his hands up and down her back.

Staring down at the top of Hinata's head, her face hidden in his T-shirt as she affectionately snuggled closer to him, Naruto blinked, dazed. "That was..." Naruto started, still in mild disbelief at what he had just done. "… That was new." As soon as he'd pressed his lips against her own he had immediately wondered if he was doing the right thing – he didn't even know if _he_ was ready for such a step, let alone Hinata – but then, to his amazement, she had responded by kissing him back with just as much enthusiasm as him and all thoughts went completely out the window as he found himself immersed in the sensation of the Hyuuga girl's lips.

"Mhm..." Hinata inhaled the scent of his body that she just couldn't get enough of. Smiling peacefully into the fabric of his unzipped jacket, feeling as safe and happy as she could ever remember being, she mumbled quietly, "… I still don't remember what I was going to say."

Despite his cheeks still being flushed the blond grinned impishly, his eyes dancing. "Oh, that's too bad," he commented airily, his voice full of laughter. Even now that the kiss had ended his body felt as though it was quite literally buzzing. "It can't have been that important if you forgot though, right?"

Hinata giggled, shaking her head at Naruto's silliness. "Oh of course, you're right," she replied, smiling to herself. "I think it might have been something to do with my cousin saying that he wanted to start overseeing all of our dates from now on. He might even be here now… but that's not important at all."

Naruto's jaw dropped at the thought of the Hyuuga prodigy watching over him and his face went very pale, before noticing Hinata was stifling her laughter and realising that she was joking. "You're so mean," he grumbled, pouting at her in that way that Hinata secretly found adorable. "And anyway, Neji going on our dates would be a real mood killer; he's –" Naruto made a face, trying to find the right word to describe him "– he's such a stick in the mud,"

Letting out a very unladylike snort of amusement as she tried to fend off her giggles at Naruto's description of Neji, Hinata's laughter finally died down. Gazing at Naruto, his eyes shimmering with laughter, she felt a great surge of affection swelling up inside of her and suddenly the moment felt _right_. Before she'd even thought about it she found herself speaking, in a strong and clear voice, "Naruto, I love you."

Naruto's eyes widened at her words, not expecting them at all. He couldn't stop the image of her standing with her back to him and defending him with her life from flashing through his mind. Her voice sounded the same as it did back then, even though the setting and circumstances were completely different. What was he supposed to say now? He really wanted to tell her that he loved her back – in fact, every instinct in his body was screaming at him to – but he couldn't say he loved her if he didn't know for sure, could he? He knew he felt something for her that he'd never even come close to experiencing with anyone else, but that was just it; this was all so new to him and he had nothing to compare his feelings for Hinata with, so how could he know if it was love or not?

"Hinata…" Naruto's forehead furrowed as he tried to express exactly how he felt. "I really like you. Really, _really _like you. Right now, all I can think about is how much I like being around you. But…" He shrugged his shoulders hopelessly, struggling with himself. This was harder than anything he'd ever tried to put into words before, since he couldn't define how he felt even in his own head – how was he supposed to explain it to her when he couldn't explain it even to himself? "I just don't know if it's love, y'know?"

As Hinata stayed silent for a second or two, Naruto hastily added, "But that doesn't mean I don't care for you – I do, so much it's crazy. You're…" He swallowed thickly and continued hoarsely, "You're probably the most important person in my life right now. I don't want what we have together to end. I can't say I love you right now, 'cos I don't know, but… I really want to. And when I have an answer, I promise I'll tell you,"

Despite feeling almost overwhelmed by everything he had just said, Hinata placed her hands gently on his shoulders and looked his in the eyes. "Naruto, it's okay," she whispered reassuringly, seeing how agitated has was. "I understand."

And it was true, she did understand; even now, after their first few dates, it wasn't fair for her to have any expectation for him to love her back. All she wanted was for him to be happy and to enjoy the time they spent together as much as possible. "I just wanted to let you know that my feelings haven't changed… and that you're still special to me."

Naruto hugged her tightly against his body, feeling almost humbled by her words. How could someone so amazing and understanding love _him_? "Thanks, Hinata," he said in a low voice. "I'm really glad that you told me again. It means a lot to me. Especially since you're the first person ever to say anything like that to me."

"Really?" Hinata asked, feeling both sadness and sympathy jabbing at her heart. She knew Naruto had a lonely upbringing… but she was the _only_ person ever to say that they loved him? It may have been different now, with Naruto having precious people of his own to protect and the entire village acknowledging the orange clad Jinchuuriki as a hero, but still, not having a single person ever tell him how much he meant to them must have hurt, no matter how much he tried to hide it. Hinata made a mental note to try and tell him that she loved him more often now – if she could make up for even a tiny bit of the loneliness Naruto had previously suffered then it would be more than worth the effort.

Naruto nodded at her. "Yup, I'll never be able to forget it, no matter what happens. Even if things don't work out between us... I'll always consider you really special too!" He grinned, showing off his teeth. "Now c'mon, we were supposed to be having the rest of our date after we finished training, right?"

Naruto took hold of Hinata's hand, the feeling of her palm in his now familiar, and Hinata smiled and ran her thumb across his knuckles gently in response. As they turned to walk back to the village Hinata thought she saw a wisp of brown hair disappear into the forest out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't even give it a second glance**.** She was just too in love to care.

_**End of Chapter **__**5**_

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><p><strong>AN: So yes, 'the big moment' arrived! Hopefully you guys are satified with this chapter :) I love reading the reviews you guys write meand I'm still kind of in shock that the count is already past 40. Thanks so much for reading this story, as I'm having a blast writing it!**

**Oh, and I wouldn't mind hearing theories about who you think was hiding in the woods ;)**

**- Brita**_**  
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